Former Sen. Jeff Klein joins lobbying firm

The former leader of the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference is joining Mercury Public Affairs.

Jeff Klein, a Bronx Democrat, who was defeated in his September primary, will assume the role of c0-chair for the public strategy firm’s New York business, according to firm partner Michael McKeon.

“We’re excited to have him on the team,” said McKeon on Wednesday.

Klein was first elected to the state Senate in 2004, and rose to the rank of deputy leader under then-Majority Leader Malcolm Smith. He broke from the Senate Democratic Conference after the 2010 elections, launching his own conference that partnered with the Senate Republicans.

After more than seven years of working with the GOP, and his group of renegade Democrat growing to eight members, he folded the conference in April 2018. The return was too little, too late for liberal activists, who backed the successful primary challenge against him by Alessandra Biaggi.